Furinkan Mental Institution
by Demons Of Doom
Summary: Akane wakes up in a Mental Institution for violent underage criminals. They say the last two years of her life had been nothing but a fantasy.
1. Caged and away

Furinkan Mental Institution

Akane wakes up in a Mental Institution for violent underage criminals. They say the last two years of her life had been nothing but a fantasy.

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Well, this is a pilot so let me know how it is. If it's cool, I'll continue it.

* * *

Akane had woke up that morning in a strange room. Gone were the bookshelves, nightstand and lamp. There was no sight of her wardrobe, the window or the cushions. There was only an uncomfortable rough bed, padded walls and a blinding white light fused to the ceiling. In a panic, she demanded to be left out. The locked door opened and two burly brutes burst in, held her down and strapped her down on the bed. She remained there for almost an hour, staring numbly at the blinding light, when Dr Tofu opened the door and walked in. He sat in a chair next to the bed and talked to her. She was struggling to understand what was wrong with him while answering his strange question.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was with Ranma, going to school and then he said something and then I woke up here and they tied me to the bed and instead of letting me go, you're asking me stupid questions! Sensei, tell me what's going on!"

He stared blankly at her for a while and pulled his glasses up the bridge of his nose. A new series of silly questions followed regarding the current date, President and her last name. She answered crossly, hoping he would snap out of whatever trance he was in and help her. No such luck. He walked out and Miss Hinako entered and injected something in her arm. Akane couldn't finish asking what the hell it was, when the drug took effect and her head slumped on the pillow.

When she woke up again, the straps had been removed and Kasumi, Nabiki and her father were there. It brought Akane great relief to see them well, but whatever spell had affected Dr Tofu and Miss Hinako was also affecting her family. They said she had been locked in that Institution, they didn't know any Ranma and they had to close the Dojo. Akane refused to believe them and started shouting at them to find Cologne or Happosai. They would know what was going on. They left, looking pale and shaken, and the two brutes from before walked in with Miss Hinako. Again they held her down and injected a sedative. Akane drifted into obliviousness wondering if Ranma noticed she was gone.

* * *

Akane had a headache when she woke up the next day. Dr Tofu came back to ask more questions. She answered politely and didn't deny anything he said. So she had been in that Institution for three years now after an incident involving a violent confrontation with an angry mob of students. Everything she remembered from then was a fantasy imagined by her mind to hide from a very painful traumatizing reality. It was okay if she didn't remember what that horrible event was. She would, in time. It was a huge step to have actually talked to them and so Dr Tofu gave her permission to leave the horrible room.

It was summer so well-behaved interns spent most of their time in the patio, Uncle Genma explained as he led her outside. Akane squinted her eyes at the light. She shielded them with her hand to survey the place. The patio was mostly cement with some small bushes on the sides and small trees on the center. Akane's eyes fixed on the tall hostile walls enclosing it. She sighed and shuffled to a bench under an orange tree.

She sat there for what seemed like hours, looking at the chattering groups and babbling loners crowding the broad patio. Perhaps it was another of Happosai's stupid tricks. He could have forced strange incense under her nose again and she was dreaming...

"Hey, Akane, you look sane today."

Akane whirled around to find Ranma standing next to her. She halted the initial urge to hug the red-head.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that you're a bit 'out there' most of the time. Just saying."

"Why are we here?"

"Cats make me crazy and y..."

"How do cats make you crazy?" She glanced around to make sure neither Miss Hinako nor Dr Tofu were around. "It makes you act like a cat, right?"

"How do you act like a cat?"

"The Neko-ken! You get in all fours, and your arch your back like this and you make cat noises?!"

Agitated, Akane dropped to her knees and made a fairly good impression of an angry feline. The short red-head looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. She loved to sit and listen the weird stories Akane came out with but it was the first time the girl actually talked _to_ her. She didn't want the nurses to drag her away.

"I don't do that, I just freak out real bad. You better stop that. Makes you look crazy."

"I think I am!" Akane screamed at her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't you know me? Your name's Ranma and you're my fiance and you're not supposed to be a girl!"

"You gotta chill!" Ranko hissed at her and forced her to sit back down on the bench. Some of the nurses patrolling the area had turned to look at them. "Wanna get locked up? Ranma's my bro, remember? He's in the other ward. I'm Ranko."

"Why in another ward? We gotta find him, we've got to get out of here and find a way to fix this!"

"If you say so...You better wait till dinner, though, we can't reach him now. So, how 'bout you tell me what happens after you and Ranma went to School and that weird guy jumped you guys."

Akane chose to ignore the comment. Her eyes scanned more carefully the packs of people and loners around the patio.

"Dr Tofu's my doctor. Miss Hinako and Uncle Genma are nurses and you're another patient with a cat phobia. Why's Ranma here?"

"Same as me. Attacked by the same pack."

"How about the others? Shampoo, Ukyo, Ryoga. Are they here too?"

"Where else would you know them from?"

"Just, tell me where they are. Why are they here?"

Ranko straightened, placing her hands at the nape of her neck.

"Ryoga's a weirdo. They said he was the only survivor of a plane crash in Mount Fuji which is weird, since he was a baby then. He was found and raised by wild pigs and found injured ten years ago by some hunters. They took him back to the city but he acted like some wild animal so they brought him here to 're-educate' him, whatever that's supposed mean.

Ukyo's got to be around somewhere. She thinks she's a dude, like, really thinks she's a dude. Someone's gotta go with her to the bathroom 'cause she cries when she can't find a dick. Call her a 'he' or she'll freak out and beat you up. She hits really hard."

Shampoo's over there."

Akane's eyes widened and she looked at where Ranko was pointing. Behind a pair of bushes, she distinguished one of the loners facing one of the enclosing wall, looking up. She had the same hairstyle as the Shampoo she knew, but the strange exotic color had been replaced by a common silky black.

"Don't go near her, she's really violent and doesn't speak much. She was sent from China to kill the Ambassadors of some countries that supported the invasion of Mongolia or something."

"Mongolia isn't China."

"Or the Tibet, I don't remember. Anyway, she killed five people before a cop shot her down. She ended up here."

Akane's head was reeling. This all seemed a dark parody of her life. There was nothing wrong with her. This-whatever it was-was wrong. It was a trick, an incantation or a spell of sorts. She had fallen victim of weird things before. She scowled and looked at Ranko straight in the eyes.

"Do you like it here?"

"Ain't like I've got much of a choice."

"You do now. We're gonna round up everyone, get out of here and find a way to fix things!"

Ranko looked alarmed by the declaration and for a moment, Akane feared the red-head would rat her out with the nurses. But then her lips twisted in a hauntingly familiar smirk.

"Okay, let's do it!"


	2. Riot

Since people other than me decided this plotline is worth continuing, here's chapt. 2 :D Yey!

Some parts are a little more complex than my grasp on the language really allows, so if someone wants to beta….that'd be great :P

* * *

Entering the dining room was like getting kicked in the liver, punched on the nose and finger-stabbed on the eyes. It not only screamed 'you're not home', it added a 'you're also in jail'. Inmates walked around-their food served on trays- to find a place on one of the long steel tables crowding the room. Bored-looking guards armed with rifles lined along the walls and burly nurses chit-chatted next to stretchers and wicked chairs sporting straps. A thick wire-net fence towered above them all, cutting the room in half.

"The boys are in the other side." Ranko told her as they waited in line to get their dinner.

Akane's eyes filled with tears at the thought of Ranma being there, lost in a chattering crowd of dangerous psychopaths. Or perhaps they were also victims of whatever evil spell had been cast upon her. The girl behind her shoved her forward. A bowl of soup, two okonomiyaki and an apple were set on her tray. She stared at the rising steam and, possessed by an overwhelming urge, grabbed the bowl and emptied it over Ranko's head.

It was admirable the red-head didn't drop her tray despite the shock. Others in the crowd did and a collective gasp ran through the lines of inmates and guards. A heavy silence followed. All eyes were fixed on them.

Ranko set the tray down on a near table, grabbed Akane by the collar of her shirt and raised a tightly closed fist. The urge to hit passed quickly and overwhelming rage was replaced by concern as Akane stared forlornly at her breasts. Ranko glanced around. Nurses and guards were staring with interest. She sighed and dragged Akane quickly towards their table at the end of the central row.

The first thing Ukyo did when they sat was grab their okonomiyaki and swallow them quickly. Ranko snatched the apple from her tray.

"So, did she say anything about the guy that jumped them?"

"Nope." Ranko smirked. "She snapped out of it."

One of Ukyo's eyebrows rose skeptically. Akane didn't look any different than she normally did. Her glassy eyes stared at nothing and her small mouth hanged open. At some random point, words would pour out freely to narrate the wonders of some magical land where people changed forms with the touch of water, where there were dragons, demons and not one single cop. Akane blinked and a lone tear slid down her cheek. Ukyo snorted.

"You're full of shit. She didn't snap out it."

"I'm telling you, she did. We've been talking all day. Where've you been anyway?"

"I got into my ward but that fat-ass Genma found me and dragged me back here. What if I was a rapist or a molester? I mean, isn't illegal to mix boys and girls in places like this?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ukyo's eyes bulged out of their sockets as Akane addressed her.

"Told ya!" Ranko chortled. "Ukyo's mad 'cause they put _him_ on the girl's ward."

Tightly bandaged breasts, long hair tied in a ponytail, loose boy outfits, a deep voice and an androgynous face had helped Ukyo fool all of Nerima when she first showed up. In the ugly uniforms they were all forced to wear in the Institution, however, only Ukyo seemed able to ignore the obvious female attributes of her well-shaped body.

"She says the world's fucked up and we gotta fix it. We gonna break out. You in, right?"

"Of course I'm in, jackass! They think I'm a woman. How insane is that?!"

"We need to get the others." Akane said dully. "I don't see them…"

"Others?"

"We need Ranma. And Shampoo and Ryoga, Mousse, Kuno, Kodachi and who else's here?! Why can't I see them!?"

"She's gonna snap again…"

"Think she needs pills with her food?"

"Stop talking as if I'm crazy!" Akane shrieked. "I'm not a crazy and neither are you! This is all wrong and I will fix it!" She jumped to her feet, facing the division fence. "RANMA!"

Ranko slapped a hand over her mouth and forced her back on the bench.

"Damn, calm down! They're gonna lock you up!"

"We're gonna need a plan to get the boys." Ukyo said.

"Yeah…or a distraction. Don't mess it up, Akane."

Ranko said and stood. She marched resolutely to the other end of the room. Heads turned and conversations quieted as she stopped in front of a table occupied only by one person. Shampoo looked up from her tray. Without a word, the red-head grabbed her bowl and drank the greasy soup. Then she ate the apple in two huge bites. She broke the fortune cookie, read the prediction and ripped the tiny paper.

Inmates in the surrounding area vacated their tables and several guards stopped their shougi and scrabble games to reach for their stun rifles. Shampoo rose slowly from her seat and closed small delicate hands on the edge of the table and swung it violently several feet away. It crushed nosily against the serving counter, sending bowls and trays all over the place.

"Die!"

Ranko flipped over the charging Amazon and landed neatly in the bench behind her. Shampoo spun around with a raised leg, missed the dodging red-head and slammed her foot on the iron bench, bending it in half.

"_I _shouldn't mess it up!?" Akane's voice thundered in the stunned silence that settled.

Chaos overtook the world. People who had been eating calmly next to each other suddenly attacked with savage fury those sitting closer. Food, trays and guards flew in the air. A giant beach-ball roamed the vicious mob, punched along by random hands. The violent frenzy was contagious and spread over and across the boy's side.

Akane screamed and dodged the beach ball. She had lost sight of Shampoo and Ranko. She turned to Ukyo. She was throwing trays at the guards and nurses with deadly accuracy.

"Would you stop?! How is any of this helping?!"

"Oh, right!" She turned to the division fence. "RAN-CHAN!"

"UCCHAN?!"

"AKANE SNAPPED OUT OF IT AND SHE WANTS TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!"

"I'M COMING!"

"There's Genma!" Ukyo hissed and sprang away.

Akane was no longer paying attention to her. Ranma was walking sedately away from the undistinguished mass of flailing legs and arms that had settled in the center of the boy's dining room. It was hard not to fix the eyes on his bared, tanned muscular torso. One look from his handsome scowling face and hardened eyes sent belligerent inmates and enraged guards scampering out of the way. He leaned into the fence and smiled.

"So, you're Akane. I imagined you fat."

Akane's eyes filled with tears. She grabbed the wire-net, slipping two fingers through the narrow squares to brush his hand. Ranma smiled tenderly. Once a week, girls and boys could meet to do stuff together. Nice stuff. He was proud of the fact not one girl had ever touched his couch more than once.

"Ranko told me about ya. I'm your badass fiancé, uh? "

"Yes."

The heart-broking moan was an effective turn off. He slipped his hands away. There was something wrong with this chick. A low whistl caught his attention. Smocke spread at his feet.

"Crap! Run, Akane!"

"No, don't leave me!"

Akane grabbed into the cruel chain links separating them as Ranma ran into the raising smock. She coughed and staggered as it reached her. Her eyes and throat were burning up. It felt like one of Happosais's bombs going off right on her face. Screams of pain and commanding shouts filled the air. Dry explosions…

"Akane, get down!" Ranko shouted and tackled the staggering Akane to the floor. "They're fucking shooting! Did you talk to Ranma?"

"Yes! He doesn't know who I am! How can he not know me?!"

Heavy boots stomped around them and Akane covered her head. Her burning eyes squinted. Ukyo was crawling towards them, a crisped hand covering her face. A guard emerged from the smocke and slammed her face-first on the ground, snatching the shielding hand away from her tear-stricken face. Shampoo let out a strangled wail and Akane looked up. Burly nurses, protected against the smoke by masks, wrestled her in one of the nightmarish chair to strap her in. She took a deep breath and readied to leap to their aid. Ranko grabbed her ankle and forced her back.

"What are you doing?! You started this, they need help!"

"They took one for the team! Get down!"

The chance to fight was robbed of her as massive hands clamped around her wrists and forced her arms to her back. Akane screamed in protest, struggling as hard as she could. It was useless. Her hands were effectively immobilized and she was hauled back to her feet to face the choking smoke again.

* * *

After the chaos on the dining room, most inmates were forced down the showers to wash their faces and hair. New uniforms, cleaned exact replicas of the previous set, were provided. With her hands cuffed and two burly brutes holding her forearms tightly, Akane was shoved back into the room where it all started. Dr Tofu walked in a few minutes later.

"It's been some time since the last riot." He said, sitting on a chair and motioning for Akane to sit on the bed. She ignored him and remained in the protective corner. "They tell me a red-head with a pig-tail started it. Is this true?"

"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention."

"You were talking to her and with another intern. What are their names?"

The overdramatic expression of curiosity he adopted sickened her. Everything in that room was disgusting: the smell, the light and the rough sheets upon the bed. The rush of anger must have shown on her face because Dr Tofu frowned slightly.

"Ranko and Ukyo."

"You were also talking with a boy. Who was he?"

"Ranma." She choked out.

"Who's the girl Ranko provoked?"

"What do you want from me?!"

She couldn't help the tears and bitter sobs. She started crying bitterly. Dr Tofu stared calmly at her and Akane felt the urge to punch him, to wipe from his face that stupid pretentious stare.

He rose from the chair.

"Come with me, Akane."

With Mr Saotome's heavy hand firmly perched on her shoulder, Akane followed Dr Tofu down the long narrow corridors of the hospital. He stopped by a door and gestured for her to watch through the small narrow window. The room was exactly like hers but it was Ukyo who sat sullenly on the bed. She was shirtless, staring dully at her boobs.

"Ukyo is the only daughter of a numerous family. Her father was a chauvinist and treated her as if she were another of his sons until she reached puberty and developed. He disowned her. We can only imagine how humiliating and traumatic it must have been. His constant rejection and the mockery of her brothers in subsequent approaches made Ukyo feel the need to prove her masculinity. And she did by beating her father to death with a shovel.

She denies the murder because, in her mind, it never happened. Sometimes she says for hours that this is all a huge mistake and that 'his' father would soon come to get 'him' so they can go hunt pandas in China again."

Akane placed a trembling hand on the hard iron door. Ukyo had not moved and barely blinked. She looked broken. Genma pushed her gently, but firmly, in the direction Dr Tofu was heading. They stopped before a new door. Akane's eyes widened as they looked through the window.

"Mousse!"

"Mousse: the myopic idiot that turns into this obnoxious duck. He's a prodigy, Akane. With only 14 years, he graduated with honors from the University of Tokyo. He's the youngest psychiatric the world knows."

Akane felt a bit defensive over Dr Tofu's description. She had never thought of Mousse as an idiot. He could be annoying and love had definitely mauled essential surviving instincts, but she never considered him an idiot. It was a bit shocking he was a genius in this nightmarish reality, however.

Inside the room- which was exactly like hers and Ukyo's-Mousse sat calmly in a chair, wearing a scrub like Dr Tofu's. Wanton stood by his sides like a sentinel. Shampoo paced in front of the bed like a caged tiger. Akane could hear the boy murmuring.

"The Nujiezu have been using children for years to eliminate politicians or public figures that antagonize their cause." The doctor continued. "They train them to be effective and merciless assassins. Ten years ago, Mousse and Shampoo burst into an International Congress in Tokyo. They killed ten people and injured six others before security officers restrained them. They were brought here so we could work through the conditioning the Nujiezu put them through.

We succeeded with Mousse. After a year, he started cooperating and in the second he had shared all he knew about the Nujieuzu's location and modus operandi. He was released to a foster home a year later. He returned two years ago with his degree to help Shampoo. It has been hard for her. She has barely learned the language, does not socialize with other inmates. Her only friend, apparently, is the ward's pet kitten."

Mousse stood and handed Shampoo two small plastic cups. Akane could barely hear their words but the look of sheer hatred and disgust were clear indication of what the girl must have been saying. Then they no longer talked. Mousse nodded curtly. Shampoo jumped and kicked feebly but Wanton grabbed her and held her efficiently. Akane gaped as the sick-love puppy that was Mousse forced Shampoo's mouth open and shoved something down her throat. As Wanton forced the coughing girl down on the bed and strapped her in place, Mousse filled a syringe and jabbed the needle on Shampoo's bound arm. He waited calmly next to the bed until she stopped moving, placed a hand at the base of her neck and walked out of the room.

Akane shuddered when his cold blue eyes fell briefly on her before he looked up and smiled.

"Doctor Tofu."

Wanton slammed the door shut and followed Mousse down the corridor. Akane turned to stare at the motionless Shampoo. Genma pushed her forward.

"I've seen enough…"

"I think you need to visit Ranko"

"No!" Akane pulled against Genma. "No, please, no."

Dr Tofu's voice and sage eyes no longer had the power to sooth and appease her. Akane screamed and struggled until they relented and escorted her back to her room. She shuddered when he entered after her and closed the door.

"I did this so you can see and understand that all these people are not your friends. They are dangerous and violent criminals." Dr Tofu strained. "The quicker you face and accept the facts, the sooner you'll be back to your family."

The door opened and Miss Hinako walked in and handed her a pill and a glass of water. Akane sighed and obediently swallowed. They instructed her to lie down on the bed. The lights went out and the door opened.

"Dr Tofu?"

"Yes, Akane?"

"Why am I here?"

"You killed your fiancé, Akane."

* * *

I'm gonna fuse this chapter with first chapt by the time I upload chapt 3 :D


	3. Pigs and Cats

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* * *

Boredom allowed sulking and mourning which grew into resentment that led to acts of violence, so the authorities at Furinkan Mental Institute adjudicated the riot to inmates having too much free time. The next morning right after breakfast, everyone who had been directly involved was rounded up to repair and clean the wrecked dining room.

Together with other inmates, Ukyo and Akane were stuck cleaning the floor with hand-brushes while Ranko had to take care of the food-stains splattered all over the walls and the roof. Others were trusted with the repair of chairs and tables.

"This fucking stain won't come off!" Ukyo screamed, brushing the floor so rabidly foam rained all over the place. "I'm a fucking dude; I shouldn't even be doing this!"

She threw the brush into the bucket and stormed off. Akane was grateful for the moment of solitude her departure allowed. There were a lot of things to consider and attempt to understand, like the fact she was apparently a murderer and all the people that were important to her were either insane or pointing the finger.

Ranma was not dead so it was impossible she was a murderer. He was alive as two different individuals, one of which didn't know her personally. It was possible her fiancé in this place was someone else but she was sure she had never killed anybody. Her head began to throb. Ukyo did not remember killing her father with a shovel but her insanity was evident because she was convinced of an inexistent manhood. Maybe she was also insane because she had killed someone and didn't remember. Or that's what they wanted her to believe. Ranma was her fiancé, Ranko did not exist and she was not a murderer. This was just a nightmare and he was home begging her to wake up…

Akane whimpered. Each thought a new wave of searing pain shooting through her brain. She doubled over, trying to fight through the agony and understand what she was hearing.

"Rroew?"

Her eyes snapped open. A small white kitten stood in front of her, purring softly. It mewed and rubbed its back under her nose. Akane flinched back and sneezed. The cat rubbed against her legs. The pain disappeared in the absence of thought. She couldn't help forgetting about her problems in the face of such innocent affection.

"So you're the ward's kitten?" she asked, wiping some tears from her eyes and rubbing the cat under its chin. "Better not let Ranm-Ranko see you."

Akane heard soft footsteps approaching and looked up. The girl that stepped from behind the table was a far cry from the impetuous, haughty and overly-enthusiastic person she was used to dealing with. The dark hair and grey uniform only helped to accentuate the painful differences. Shampoo, or whoever wore her face in this nightmarish world, stared forlornly at the white cat on her lap.

"Hi," Akane ventured, standing up with the animal in her arms. "Is it yours?"

Shampoo shook her head. Akane walked to her but stopped when the Amazon scowled darkly and moved belligerently away from the table.

"I don't want to fight. I just…What's her name?"

"Bakeneko."

Akane frowned and looked down at the cat. It was white as snow and her golden eyes gleamed in the bright light. A bell hanged from the red collar around her neck. She looked up but Shampoo was gone. Ukyo come growling and cursing back. Her eyes widened at the sight of the animal in her arms.

"Wow, that thing only lets Shampoo touch it."

And as if to prove her right, the cat hissed at Ukyo and leaped away.

It took all morning but the dining room was left as good as new by lunchtime. Before they could eat, however, the guards lined them up against a wall and Akane watched in stunned silence as Principal Kuno, wearing a suit and missing the ridiculous hat and sunglasses, came strolling into the room to inspect their work. With a big toothy grin he congratulated everyone for their hard work and warned sternly against future riots. Nobody liked to have sedatives slipped into their food. By the worry look the others exchanged, Akane realized the crazy bastard was serious.

Principal's Kuno apparition into the nightmare left Akane with the uneasy feeling that something worse would happen soon. A fear that proved justified by midafternoon when they were all herded to a broad room and Kodachi hopped after them, cackling hideously and instructing everyone to take their place.

"Whatever she's got, they feed her pills," Ranko said, placing a pad on the floor next to Akane. "And since her old man's the boss, she gets to work the easy stuff."

Akane supposed at least one of them could have it easy. Kodachi's deep voice prompted them to take deep breaths, close their eyes and allow the sweet composition of singing birds, cascading water and violins to sooth their sorrows and conflicted souls. Seeing an opportunity for reflection and problem-solving, Akane played along, missing the nervous and angry faces of her fellow inmates.

The last thing she remembered from Nerima was running with Ranma towards school. They were going to be late again. He shouted something and then darkness. Akane concentrated. She did not remember the words but it had not been so sudden. She had seen something move towards her before darkness came. Something small and skinny…

A hideous and shrill sound stabbed at her ears and Akane screamed. Her eyes snapped opened as her arms and legs flailed wildly, each limb attempting to flee in opposite directions. The entire class stared at her in stunned silence before bursting into laughter. Akane blushed furiously.

"Tendo Akane!" Kodachi snarled. "Be silent or you shall be dragged out and put to sleep! Be quiet, all of you! Close your eyes, take deep breath and let the music sooth your troubled souls..!"

The thunderous laughter was muffled but inmates kept giggling and hissing under their breaths. Akane fumed darkly, angered by the interruption and humiliation. She closed her eyes to try and remember more details. She was punched in the shoulder.

"Ow!?"

"Are you stupid?" Ukyo chortled. "She's gonna do it again. She always does that."

"Does what?"

"Laughs! Right when it seems someone's all relaxed and happy, she laughs."

Five minutes later, Kodachi cackled shrilly, startling the crap out of a girl who had thought herself safe in a corner. Akane frowned.

"Is she doing it on purpose?"

"Nah…" Ranko said, putting the time to good use by doing push-ups. "I mean, I don't think so."

"She's a monster," Ukyo growled. "Tortured pets to death till her father got sick of it and put her here."

"Who knows what they did to her," Ranko said. She winced as Kodachi cackled again. "Can't come with us, though. She's gonna blow it."

After that nightmarish hour of yoga had passed, Kodachi was escorted out of the room by Sasuke and the tiny version of Miss Hinako strutted into the room prompting them to grab an easel and a canvas. Brushes and paint were provided and art class began. Akane noticed most inmates, including Ukyo and Ranko, had something already started.

"How exciting! I was told you were awake!" tiny Miss Hinako chirped happily and set a fresh canvas on her easel. "Let's see what you paint!"

Akane sighed and faced the canvas crossly. They were making her waste precious time. She had to figure out what was going on and find a solution to return home. She was sure that if they managed to gather the whole team, escaping would be easy. The problem laid on what to do once they were out. Neither of them had the wisdom and knowledge to guess or understand what could have happened or how to solve it. She knew only one person who could do that.

Shampoo sat apart from the rest, staring vapidly at her empty canvas, the brush and paints forgotten at her side. Akane grabbed her things and moved to sit at her side. For a moment, everyone turned to look with interest and Miss Hinako screamed at them to get to work or she would blow on her whistle and everyone would be in trouble. In the interim, Shampoo had grabbed her things and moved away from Akane to the other side of the room. A new attempt of approach was met with the same result.

Akane fumed darkly on her new place at the back of the room. It seemed stupidity and rudeness was a character flaw on this Shampoo too. She decided to take another approach and grabbed her brush. She used green for a robe, light pink for the skin and brown for the staff. When she was done, she raised her canvas and waved it in Shampoo's direction. The Amazon glanced at it briefly but didn't seem interested.

It was a good drawing, so Akane decided to add a few more details to get the message through. She drew Shampoo next to Cologne and raised the canvas again. The Amazon turned to look at it and the angry frown lifted. Encouraged, Akane drew the Neko Hanten and a duck with glasses. Shampoo's dark eyes grew tender and a small smile graced her lips. She grabbed her brush and painted something on her own canvas and showed it to her. Akane scowled darkly. She had painted her, an older version of her and cat with a hat and a tie next to a house.

"No…!" Akane mouthed angrily and pointed at Cologne. "Where is she?"

Shampoo cocked her head curiously and after a moment of reflection, she painted something else and showed it to her with a broad smile. Akane face-planted. She had painted Cologne.

A rabid scream erupted suddenly. Ranko threw the canvas she had been working on so intensely against the wall and shattered the easel and chair against it. Tiny Miss Hinako started blowing frantically on a whistle.

"Knock that shit out!" Ranko snarled at her, shoving people and kicking things out of her way. She reached one of the doors and slammed her fist against it. "Let me out!"

Another door opened and guards aiming their stun guns trooped in. The red-head put her hands at her back without a word and allowed them to carry her out. Akane blinked a few times and glanced at the others but no one seemed disturbed by the explosive display. Ukyo simply shrugged and turned back to her painting.

Akane approached the pile of wood and splinters in the corner to fish out Ranko's discarded canvas. She paled. The painting was a mess of red and black, furious brush strokes giving form to a nightmarish vision. A demonic cat-like creature sat chewing with sharp huge teeth on a wailing child, while another lay curled and bloody under wicked claws. A woman stood in the back, her hand tightly closed around the beast's tail.

"She no like cats," Shampoo said. "Try kill Bakeneko. I hate her."

"Rebellious students in the back! Sit down! Now, now, now!"

"Shampoo hate everyone here."

"Where is Cologne?"

"What?"

"Cologne, your great-grandmother, where is she?"

Shampoo's face grew wary. Mumbling under her breath, the girl returned to her place. Akane grabbed her things and was met with an angry warning glare when she tried to sit next to the Amazon. Desperate, she offered her painting as a token of friendship. After a heavy silence, Shampoo grabbed the canvas and offered hers in turn. There was no much progress after that but at least they were in friendly terms.

Miss Hinako blew on her whistle and instructed them to put everything in the corner and then line up by the doors with their hands up against the wall. Guards walked in a minute later and patted them up to make sure no one was trying to sneak something out. A female guard shoved her hand down Ukyo's pants and pulled out a brush.

"No, give it back!"

The violent protest was subdued with the efficiency and apathy developed with routine. Shampoo and Akane were told their paintings had to stay in the classroom and while Akane went to put hers in the corner with the others, Shampoo snapped. Quick and vicious, she broke a guard's arm and cracked another's skull right open. The altercation left Ukyo with insufficient attention. The guards at her side were soon knocked to the ground. Akane sighed as the destructive frenzy spread to the other inmates and a riot began. She sat next to the canvas, baring Miss Hinako's whistling and waited for the chaos to pass.

Tear gas, a cold shower and a change of clothes later, Akane lay exhausted in the rough bed on a small padded room staring at the blinding white light fused to the ceiling. If she wasn't insane already, this place would sure make the trick. Bursts of violence had always been a normal occurrence in her life but never before had they been spurred on by so much hatred. There were no rules here, no warnings and absolutely no mercy.

Only Cologne could explain why she had ended up in this nightmarish world and Shampoo didn't seem to recognize who the old woman was. Perhaps, she didn't have a great-grandmother and Akane had made her up of some random comment. Perhaps she had some favorite cologne called 'Grandmother'. Despite the hilarity of the thought, Akane started crying bitterly.

A tile on the floor popped loose. A pair of dirty arms emerged from the earth and a man pushed himself up. Akane gaped as Ryoga crawled out of the floor and shook the dust off his hair and clothes. He set the tile back on its place and sat down on the ground, staring expectantly at her.

"Hum…hi?" Akane said, slowly sitting on the bed. "How-why…do you know who I am?"

He blinked a few times and frowned. He swayed his body from right to left, never taking his eyes away from hers. Akane looked away briefly to glance at the door. She was extremely tempted to scream for someone. Ryoga stood. He looked much bulkier than Akane remembered.

"You're freaking me out."

"You-you are talking to me?"

"Who else is here?"

"Nobody! But—well, this's the first time you talked _to_ me." He blushed and looked down, scratching the back of his head. "You just tell stories. I come to listen."

The fact the boy had crawled out of the floor into the room of a-as long as he knew- unaware mental patient to listen to her ramblings was wrong on many levels, but Akane's mind was occupied with other, more important, concerns.

"You come from the boy's ward."

"Yeah, they don't let me come through the halls, so I just dig my way through. I eat stuff on the way."

Akane grabbed his callous hands. The breath caught on his throat.

"Can you take me to Ranma?"

Ryoga's face darkened. Ranma was a cowardly lady-killer but Akane was obsessed with him. She had made him her fiancé when he- who had sat at her side to listen her every word- was nothing but a pet pig. He did not fully understand how her mind worked but he had seen enough in the Institution to understand what delusions were. He grabbed her hands firmly.

"Akane-san, Ranma's a pervert. An immoral bastard. I know you believe he's part of your life, but he's not. I am part of your life! I come here to listen to your stories every night! I've been at your side since the beginning!"

"Okay…" Her smile was a little weird but at least she was smiling. "I know it sounds crazy but I know that something wrong's happening. We don't belong here. All those stories? That's reality! Not this and we need Ranma so we can fix it!"

"..."

"Please, Ryoga. You're always there to help me, you are my friend."

Her tender eyes were filled with tears and her small thin mouth had frozen in a pleading pout. Ryoga shuddered and snorted. Akane was so beautiful, so compassionate and good-hearted. She was the only person who had ever said nice things about him. He could not let her down. He would help her resolve this without Ranma.

"Let's go."

Ranko said Ryoga had been raised by a herd of pigs but aside from the squeals and snorts, the boy pretty much acted like a mole. He dug and crawled quickly, apparently unperturbed by the abrasive contact of the earth against their hands and knees and the claustrophobic darkness. The air itself smelt of dust and brutal sneezes shook Akane's body constantly. They reached a part where the earth moved and was all slobbery.

"Are we there yet?" she whimpered.

"Just a little more!"

Akane sneezed again and hit her head against the tunnel's roof. She tried to rub her head and her forearm got scraped against the left wall. Something screeched under the weight of her right hand. The fact Ryoga had the worst sense of direction of any living creature evolution had spawned popped into Akane's mind and she started to hyperventilate. The urge to dig her way out passed as light cut the darkness ahead. Ryoga was crawling up and she hurried to follow.

Ranma's room was not different from any other she had seen but his uniform was, if the tight black shorts were any indication. Ryoga wailed and fell to his knees, pulling furiously at his hair.

"This is not outside!"

She chose not to comment on the desperate wail and shook Ranma to wake up him up. The boy bolted upwards, almost hitting her in the face. He dropped to the ground and started making push-ups. By the fifth, he fell flat on his face and let out a thunderous snore.

"Ranma! Wake up!"

Ranma mumbled crossly and grabbed the arm shaking him. He pulled Akane down and closed his arms around her. He whispered comforting words, prompting the troubled girl to enjoy sleep on his warm embrace. Akane slumped helplessly against him, shivering like a wounded deer. She felt safe and protected for the first time since the nightmare had started.

Ryoga grabbed Ranma by the throat, whirled around and threw him head first into the tunnel.

"Yo, man, what the fuck's going on?" Ranma snapped, his head popping back out.

"Shut up!"

Ryoga shoved his head back in and helped Akane climb down. He dropped after her and set the tile back in place.

"Hey, you're Akane, right? Couldn't wait till next week, uh?"

"What?"

"Ranma you bastard!"

"Shut it, pork, I'm talking to the lady."

Akane flatted against the ground as they started fighting rabidly in the darkness. A terrified scream crawled out of her throat as the tunnel started shacking and earth rain down on them. A stout hand clamped over her mouth.

"Don't scream like that!" Ryoga whimpered. "They don't like me digging. They're gonna hook me to the current if they catch us!"

"What?"

"Electroshocks," Ranma grumbled. "Only way to get through that thick skull. So, what's going on?"

Akane swallowed and took deep breaths to calm down. Darkness kept his face and eyes hidden. It would spare her the shame of mockery if he were not to believe.

"Ranma, I know this sounds crazy but something happened to make everything like it is. This is all wrong, we don't belong here and I want…I need to fix it! And I need you to go back home."

Silence stretched in what seemed like forever but then she felt strong hands on her shoulders and his deep voice whispered confidently right in her ear.

"Let's do it."


	4. Free Ranma!

Spiderlin: Glad you're liking it :D Never saw it! I'm gonna now, though!

Naitouk: :)

Guest: Thanks :D It is funny to corrupt, lol. Here's the next!

I'm a hurt fan. No one was reminded of BTVS Normal Again episode, sniff. Poor forgotten Buffy.

Special thanks to the police for not finding where I live yet and to AliceTheBookGirl for betaing :D I drank the beer again, sorry.

* * *

Ukyo made some bandages to flatten the deformity hanging from her chest. She now looked as -she should: flat. She glanced around in search of something that could be used to add some volume to her crotch and decided the best was to rip the mattress open and fish out a spring. It was bent and accommodated to simulate a nice penis. It was a pity there were no mirrors in the room. It was also a pity the bed had to be shredded to accomplish the task of fixing her body.

Ukyo approached the door and looked out its narrowed window. It was strange breakfast had not been served yet. The bored-looking guard always patrolling the corridor was absent. Blaring sirens had awoken her that morning but she thought probably a bear died electrified at the perimeter fence again. It seemed something else was up.

The floor ejected a human body with a dry explosion. It slammed into the roof and landed back down with a meaty thud. Ranma Saotome—a childhood friend—and Akane Tendo—the girl of the miraculous recovery—crawled out of the man-shaped hole that was left on the tiles. Ryoga—the ejected projectile—sat up with a moan.

"Okay…" Ukyo summarized. "What's going on?"

"We're trying to break out but the pork had us crawling in the dirt the whole fucking night!"

"At least I was doing something!"

"Yeah, screwing it all up!"

"Take that back!"

The argument soon descended into the usual exchange of clumsy blows. With Akane reminding the boys there were more important things to do, Ukyo approached the door and peered outside. It was a smart thing to do.

"I don't know what the plan is, but someone's coming."

"Shit! Come on, Ryoga!"

Ranma and Ryoga flattened themselves at either side of the door. Ukyo stuffed Akane under the bed and sat calmly on it. Miss Hinako, followed closely by Genma, walked in a moment later. A guard halted brusquely by the door. It was too late to give out the alarm. Ranma grabbed him by the throat and yanked him in. Ryoga slammed the door shut and barreled forward, letting out a primal screech. Genma only had time to turn before the boy hauled him off his feet and rammed him brutally against the wall. Out of breath, the burly nurse was defenseless against the rabid pummeling that followed. Ukyo knocked Miss Hinako out cold with an uppercut and Ranma provided the same treatment to the guard. By the time Akane crawled out from under the bed, their three jailers had been subdued.

"I'm not sure if this's smart," Ukyo said. "Akane's being hallucinating for years, how do we know she isn't out of it right now?"

"Excuse me? I am standing right here!"

"Okay, so what's the plan? Are we gonna fly to freedom in the back of a dragon?"

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Ryoga snarled.

"I'm just trying to be realistic."

Akane stopped listening when she noticed Ranma was undressing Miss Hinako. In seconds, he was a beaten heap in the ground and she was nursing smoking fists. It was always amazing, even to herself, how fast she could move when angered.

"What the hell was that?!" He snapped, siting back up.

"You couldn't not be a pervert here?!"

"We're gonna hafta go through the halls 'cause this idiot doesn't even know where he's going underground. We dress with their cloths and that gets us more time."

"That's a plan!" Ukyo beamed and moved to undress the guard sprawled a few feet away.

"At least let me do it…" Akane grumbled.

"I'm pretty familiar with the female body, so chill. Here, start getting dressed."

"How come you're so familiar with the female body?"

Ranma cringed at Ryoga's malicious question. When Akane snapped back to coherence, she became an available bedding partner. If all he had heard was true, she was also going to be his toughest challenge. The girl was demanding and a bit uptight regarding relationship values. He could already feel her eyes burning into the back of his skull for the mild slip.

"There's no time for that," Ukyo said. "We've gotta hurry, they never give us pills this early."

"I guess you're right," Akane agreed softly. "We've got to find the others."

They bound Genma, Miss Hinako and the guard with their discarded uniforms and stuffed them under the bed. Ranma thanked Ucchan for the saving on the way out.

Ranko had made a habit of seeking comfort in Akane's tales. In Nerima, she had been robbed of her identity as a human being but at least there and under the shadow of her brother, she was unstoppable, a wild spirit no one could tame. She wondered bitterly what Akane would think of her if the truth ever came out.

"Take the pills willingly, dearie, or I may have to strap you down."

Ranko shuddered and huddled deeper into the corner. She had dreamt of the mystical Nerima so many times. It was a place where Happosai was nothing but a pest, where she as her brother could laugh and beat the tart out of him regularly. Here, she was helpless. Always shunned into a corner, alone and defeated, to endure the lecherous eyes and drooling grins. Happosai was weak and feeble in his old age but he was never alone. Wanton stood at his side like a sentinel. Ranko looked at the brute with hateful eyes. Inmates called him "the dog" for a good reason; he never smiled or talked, his eyes seemed always lost into space, but he moved with astounding precision and speed when his masters commanded.

"Why do you hate us so much?" Happosai whined. "I'm your friend! I'm trying to help you get better!"

"Then look me in the eyes."

"Oh, but you're much nicer in the chest area."

"You perverted old freak!"

Ranko snapped and leapt at him. Wanton stomped forward and clamped massive hands on her arms. She thrashed, kicking and biting, but it was like fighting a wall. The massive brute held her down easily, giving Happosai a clear view of her heaving chest. Her eyes filled with helpless tears.

The door slammed opened. Ryoga barged in with a nightmarish screech and rammed into Wanton. The burly nurse grunted but held his ground. Ukyo landed a savage kick between the massive brute's legs. Wanton groaned and released his prey to fend off the unexpected assault. Ranko leapt from the bed and approached Akane and Ranma, who had Happosai cornered in the other side of the room.

"Akane, go help the others." She said. "The perv's mine!"

"Please, don't hurt me!" Happosai wailed, dropping to his knees. "I'm just trying to help you youngsters get all better!"

Akane rolled her eyes. Happosai looked a little taller and bulkier than she remembered but Ranma assured her there was nothing powerful or dangerous about him. Wanton was a whole different matter. The massive man held Ryoga as if he were nothing while Ukyo punched and kicked him frantically from all angles without stirring a reaction. The usage of a weapon would be in order. Akane picked up the bed with a strained groan and smashed it against the turned man's back. It shattered on impact and Wanton collapsed with a faint whimper.

"Nice!" Ukyo beamed and started dragging her towards the door. Ryoga swung it opened for them.

"Wait, what about…?"

"They got him! Come on, don't you wanna get Shampoo? Let's find Shampoo! Hop, hop, hop!"

Ryoga's goofy smile dropped as soon as Ukyo had Akane out in the corridor. Ranko landed one last vicious blow to the bloody broken body in the corner. Ranma placed a comforting arm over her shoulders. They walked out of the room in silence without looking back.

"Let me go, you stupid Mousse!" Shampoo screamed, struggling. Mousse wheeled her calmly down the corridor, knowing the chair's straps would hold.

"I'm afraid the one who shows symptoms of stupidity here is you, Shampoo. I can't help but wonder what the Nujiezu ever did to be worthy of such fierce loyalty."

"I know the Japanese bought your loyalty with money," Shampoo muttered as she slumped into the restrains, fuming darkly.

"They bought mine with freedom."

"Oh, they bought it with a well-paid part-time job and a great medical insurance. You were a warrior, Mousse, and they turned you into another sheep. You stupid blind idiot…"

Mousse sighed. Shampoo was especially hostile that morning. Nobody liked to have a day outside under the sun switched to maximum security confinement, but he was hardly the person to blame. Akane Tendo—a post-traumatic schizophrenic patient that had snapped back to coherence two days ago—had escaped that morning and dragged along two other inmates; Ranma Saotome, the cursed bastard suffering ailurophobia; and Ryoga Hibiki, the boy raised by pigs. Orders were quickly issued to secure a few other inmates to whom Akane had a special—and twisted—fixation. Shampoo was one of them.

Mousse stopped abruptly. The narrow windows on the doors were rattling. Faint explosions and screams resounded near. They grew progressively louder. A mighty curse thundered near and a group of people stumbled from around the corner in front of them. A tear gas grenade bounced after them and a shirtless Ranma Saotome quickly kicked it back. It exploded, stirring screams and curses. Ominous white tendrils caressed the air.

Mousse whirled the chair around and attempted to flee but he was first trampled and then assimilated into the stampede. Shampoo cried out happily as the chair was pushed at a wicked speed down the corridor. The frantic group slammed through the door blocking their way. To their dismay, it was not guarding a new pathway to freedom but a padded room where less violent inmates were housed in groups.

"Charlotte!"

Azuza leapt from one of the beds lined against the walls and attached herself to Ryoga. He squealed and snorted in protest. Akane frowned as she watched the exchange. It was stunning how pig-like some of the boy's mannerisms were. Ranma's constant teasing of the poor boy with P-chan suddenly made sense. Ryoga had never acted like this in Nerima. Or had he and she never noticed? How could she not have noticed when it was so evident?

A jolt of pain shut through her skull and Akane doubled over, moaning. Ranma leaned next to her.

"You okay?"

"My head. It hurts. Tell him to stop!"

"Who?"

"Wo da airen!" Shampoo leapt free from the chair and glomped Ranma. "Wo ai ni!"

The outrageous anger of seeing that hussy hugging her fiancé was enough to dull the pain and tore her attention from the unnerving Ryoga. The familiar scene took a shocking turn when Ranma did not shun Shampoo away but hugged her closer.

"Wo ai ni too, babe."

"What-what are you doing?"

He cringed and shoved the Amazon back.

"She doesn't speak much. I don't even know what all that crap means."

"Do you people mind?!" Ukyo snarled between clenched teeth, straining against the door to keep the mini-regiment of guards outside from trooping in. "What do we do now?!"

"Secure safety," Shampoo said. "Then think."

"Oh, yeah, that's really helpful!"

"Bar the doors!"

Mousse, Ranma, and Ryoga slammed against the door as the girls scattered for the beds. Pink—the sadistic herbalist from China—warmed her hand of the terrors that approached in the form of Shampoo and ran to find cover in a corner. Temari was unceremoniously shoved off the bed by Ranko but she continued playing cat-cradle, sprawled on the tiles as if nothing had happened. Azuza protested rabidly when Ukyo grabbed her "Danielle" and threw punches at everyone in the near vicinity.

The door was barricaded and the group regarded their first accomplishment as a team with a content smile. They turned to face the broad padded room and their fellow inmates, who crawled aimlessly over the tiles or cowered in the corners. Their smiles slowly dropped. Mousse scowled.

"Why am I helping you?"

"We're so fucked."

"Who stupid idea this?"

"Akane's!"

"Would you cut it out!? We just have to go through the wall," Akane regarded said wall fiercely, oblivious to the alarmed look the others exchanged. "On three, we run and kick it together."

"I do hope the grasp on reality the rest of you possess is strong enough to avoid the stupidity of breaking your own feet," Mousse said. "There are no wounded or major destruction of the Hospital Facilities. It's not too late to surrender."

Ranko and Ranma exchanged a nervous glance.

"One…"

"I could dig us out," Ryoga pointed out.

"Two…"

"Windows there."

"Three!"

Akane and Ryoga charged screaming towards the wall. Ranma cursed and joined in quickly, followed by Ukyo and Ranko. Shampoo walked sedately behind. Mousse started shoving the beds away from the door.

"Now!"

They jumped and kicked together the last barrier to freedom. The entire room shook to its foundation and the narrow windows above shattered. A crack spread like a net from their feet. It swallowed the wall before it crumbled in a storm of debris and smoke. Sunlight slowly filtered into the padded room. Ranma and Ryoga jumped outside, laughing.

"It worked!"

"Yeah, it didn't even hurt."

Ukyo, Ranko and Akane limped outside. Shampoo looked pensively at their swollen feet.

"Smart no kick."

"Does she really have to come?"

Five black armored vans screeched to a halt around them. Guards jumped out, armed with rifles and batons. A chopper hovered above, the blinding light of a reflector fixed upon them. Mousse led the guards from the corridor to close the rear.

"Shampoo, surrender before you get hurt," he said. "Akane is insane."

"Take that back!"

Ryoga charged, snarling like a rabid beast. Guards jumping in to restrain him were trampled and shoved out of the way. Even the electrified bite of several stun guns failed to falter him. The group of guards and Mousse in the rear scattered like startled doves. Ranko and Ranma barreled forward. They danced around the flying hooks of the stun guns and blocked with ease the swinging batons. They fought back to back in perfect sync, advancing through the line of guards like a deadly twister. Shampoo, Ukyo and Akane dealt with the guards that broke from the pack making the dreadful mistake of taking them for easier preys.

A punch to the face, a kick to the guts, dodge, jump, an uppercut. Akane dispatched her opponents quickly and efficiently. The situation reminded her of those mornings so long ago when every male student at Furinkan High School tried to beat her down in hopes of getting a date. Kuno's face flashed suddenly in front of her eyes. Akane gasped and faltered. A guard clubbed her in the head with a baton. She hit the ground, stunned. Strong hands captured her arms and forced them to her back. Akane struggled but the painful hold grew tighter. She screamed for help and opened bleary eyes to find the others in the chaos.

She saw Ryoga screaming madly as he fought with inhuman resilience the bite of the stun guns and impacts of the batons, guards falling under his fists like insects. She saw Ranma shielding with his battered body the unconscious Ranko from the rabid blows of a dozen guards. She saw Shampoo snapping a guard's neck. She saw Ukyo wielding a stolen baton to break a turned man's legs and the next's teeth. Akane struggled to breath, stunned by the horrific sight before her. The screams of pain overrode her senses. She started screaming.

"Hush, Akane," Dr Tofu's loved voice murmured soothingly in her ear. "It'll be okay, come on. You're safe."

Ranma wailed as he was dragged away from Ranko's limp body. Ryoga staggered and fell. Shampoo faced fearlessly the barrel of several fire guns, daring the faceless wielders to shoot her down. Ukyo screamed and collapsed under the brutal discharge of a dozen stun guns. Akane saw red. Metal snapped like paper. Startled guards were dispatched with brutal efficiency. Dr Tofu had time only to blink before Akane had a strong arm hooked around his neck and a piece of glass right under his chin.

"Make it stop," She growled.

"It will stop when you stop fighting."

"Tell them to back off, to let go of my friends and back off."

"They are not your friends, Akane," Dr Tofu said calmly. "These people are here for a reason. They are dangerous. They need help and so do you. That's all we want to do. Help you get better so you can go back with your family."

"You're lying. This isn't real and I will find my way out. Tell them to let them go and back off or I swear I'll kill you!"

"You will not kill me because you are not a killer. You are a sweet child who suffered an unfortunate accident and that has a family waiting for her back home."

Akane moaned. The glass fell from limp fingers and her legs failed to hold her up any longer. Her head burned, screams grew muffled, hands grabbing and hauling her away were barely felt. No one was waiting. She was already there, surrounded, warm, cried upon. She strained to focus on the world and say to the blurred faces it would all be okay. A hideous sound stabbed through everything and forced Akane's eyes back open.

An uneasy silence and quiet had settled in the chaos. Those still conscious turned to regard the source of such a nightmarish sound. Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, stood at the edge of the battlefield, holding a shivering Principal Kuno at gun-point.

"Cease this madness!" she shouted horrifyingly. "Your incompetence will yet cause the tragic demise of my dear father!"

Everyone stared at her.

"Let everyone go!" Principal Kuno bawled. "Quick, quick!"

"But sir…"

"If I get fired everyone else does too!"

Guard dropped their prisoners and the chopper landed with a dry thud. Kodachi cackled hideously.

"What a delightful play of words, dear father!"

"Thank you, daughter. How 'bout you put tha gun down now?"

"Do not be absurd."

"Well, then…" Dr Tofu sighed. "Akane, please reconsider. Your family is worried. They miss you. Kasumi cries to sleep every night. Please, let me help you."

"She wants me back and I'll go back."

She hugged him warmly before turning back without a second glance. She helped Ryoga to trembling legs and followed Ranma, who carried Ranko and Ukyo over his shoulders, to the chopper. Shampoo had already claimed the pilot's seat and slapped away the pleading Mousse when he hovered to close. Kodachi maneuvered her way carefully into the vehicle, dragging along the trembling hostage. Guards crowded helplessly around them, grumbling darkly about their precarious employment situation.

"Do you even know how to fly this?" Akane asked.

Shampoo moved a few switches. The propellers roared to life and the bulky mass of metal rose from the ground. The doctors and nurses rushed out of the building to aid the injured and the scattered guards slowly turned into small colorful dots as the chopper gained height. Kodachi threw Principal Kuno overboard and slid the heavy doors shut.

* * *

Holy gauchos! That was violent! It won't be really common in the story, but I kinda needed it here. :D


End file.
